المستشار

طالب مراد -هولير-17.5.2013

  

الغربه  لعقود والتنقل من وظيفه لاخرى في شتات كثيره اهلتني وبكل جداره للحصول على لقب"اليهودي التائه" واول من اعطاني اللقب زوجتي وشريكت حياتي لاربعة عقود"ام دانا". أصل حكاية اليهودي التائه ربما يعود للقرن الثالث عشر وذلك بالإيمان المسيحي بأن اليهود فقدوا وأنهم تشتتوا في الأرض عقابا لهم على قتلهم المسيح  وحكايه اخرى تقول بان اليهودي التائه شخصية يهوديه خيالية حكم عليه بالتجوال الأبدي على الأرض عقابا له على ضرب المسيح ، فنحن الفيليون ومنهم انا وعائلتي تشتتنا لالكوننا قتلنا السيد المسيح او ضربناه. جريمتنا الوحيده هو ان طارق ابن عزيز ابن حنا كان يظن باننا قتلنا السيد المسيح. لقد تشتتنا ( واصبح طشارنا ماله والي) في عهد صدام واما في عهد مابعد صدام" فخرجنا من المولد بلا حمص".

رغم ان عملي  في الامم المتحده كان حقليا الا انني كنت احصل احيانناعلى مكاتب لااداء عملي الكتابي فيه .مكاتب صغيره ومتواضعه لانني على يقين وعلمتني الايام بان مساحة المكتب يتناسب تناسبا عكسيا مع قابيلية استيعاب دماغ الشخص الشاغل للمكتب و خاصتا في دول العالم الثالث. وعلمتني الايام كذالك عدم تقيد الكثير من ابناء شعوبنا باداب وثقافة دخول المكاتب . فهذه الشعوب كيف تتقيد باداب دخول المكاتب اذ لم تتقيد اصلا باداب دخول المنازل  حيث قال الله تعالى: {يا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لا تَدْخُلُوا بُيُوتاً غَيْرَ بُيُوتِكُمْ حَتَّى تَسْتَأْنِسُوا وَتُسَلِّمُوا عَلى أَهْلِها ذلِكُمْ خَيْرٌ لَكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَذَكَّرُون). ياالاهي كم من جلاوزة البعث وزوار الليل دخلوا بيوتنا من دون اذن واما السلام علينا فلم يخطر ببالنا بل  كانو يبصقون في وجوهنا  دخولا وخروجا وكم من مصائب وجرائم وفضائح ارتكبه هولاء الاعراب  في منازلنا.

تنقلي في وظائف اكاديميه وامميه واشغالي لمكاتب "علكد الحال" علمتني لا بل اصبحت عندي موهبه لمعرفت شخصيه طالب اذن الدخول ولو ان اكثرية من يدخلون المكاتب في العالم الثالث لايستاذنون او يطرقون الابواب ويدخلون المكاتب قبل الحصول على الاذن بالدخول.

بعد وصولي الى أربيل للعمل كمستشار لرئيس مجلس وزراء الإقليم لشون الزراعه والامن الغذائي , باقل من عام واستقراري في اصغر مكتب في البنايه وفي الطابق الثالث وامام المقهى الذي كان يديره اثنان من الجايجيه تابعين للحزبين الحاكمين , طرق باب مكتبي طارق ثقيل اليد ومن الطريقه الاستعلائيه لطرق الباب  تدل على انه رئيسي المباشر والذي نادرا ما اقابله في مكتبه فكيف يتنازل ويزورني في مكتبي او انه واحد من الذين حصلو على مكاتب واسعه جدا من الحكومة ومعها الحمايه والسيارات والسكن ومتطلبات الوجاهه والفخفخه. لم ينتظر الزائر ردي ودخل المكتب مصحوبا بزميل لي  ويتبعهم  احد "الجايجيه" حاملا صينيه فيها ثلاثة "استكانات" شاي حيث طلب الزائر الشراب التقليدي الذي يقدم في المكاتب من المقهى  قبل ان يصل الى مكتبي. وجلس هو وزميلي على الاريكه الوحيده الموجوده في مكتبي .

قدم الزائرنفسه بانه كان  مدير عام في حكومه إقليم كوردستان ولسنوات عديده ومن احد أصدقاء اخي عادل  جاء خصيصا ليرحب بي في كوردستان وبعد السوال عن صحتي و سبب صغر مكتبي  وقال بانه مدير عام "معوم" هو مصطلح جديد في عالم الوظائف استحدث في اقليم كوردستان ولا اعتقد بان منظمة العمل الدوليه التابعه للامم المتحده على درايه  بهذ الابداع المستحدث في الاقليم. المُعوم هو حزبي او قريب احد المتنفذين فقد وظيفته الخاصه ولكن يبقى حاله على ما هو عليه وعادة ما يتخلى المُعوم عن مكتبه الشخصي فقط , لشخص اخر ويحتفظ بكل امتيازاته الاخرى وهذا لايعني بان الشاغل الجديد للمكتب احسن حالا او اكثر قدرتا  وكفائتا من الذي سبقه  واما القدرات والكفائه والاختصاص فهذه المواصفات غير  موجوده في استمارات التقديم للوظيفه  الخاصه  وما فوقها لانه اصلا لاتوجد استمارات تملى لهذه الشريحه المتنفذه.

 وبعد ان افرغ الاخ المُعوم استكان الشاي دفعه واحده القى علي السوال الذي جاء من اجله وقال اين يقع ال 600 متر مربع الذي استلمته كمستشار لدى الحكومه هل هي في "وزيران" او"بختياري" وهما من الاحياء السكنية "الراقيه" في اربيل و سمعت بان اكثر بيوتها واراضيها هي هبة من  هبات الحكومه للاشخاص المحظوظين والمقربين من السلطه واحزابها ومن اقرباء العوائل المتسلطه. توقعت اي شي من الزائر الثقيل الا هذا السوال المستفز جدا والتي كانت وقعها علي كان اكثربكثير من الصفعه التي استلمتها من يد ناظم كزار المباركه قبل 46 سنه . الصفعه التي اتذكرها مدى الحياة ويوميا خاصتا عندما استعمل جهاز السمع. ومنذ قدومي الى كوردستان كنت اخشى بان  اواجه شخصا بصفاقة هذا الرجل الجالس امامي وافتقاره الى ادنى درجات الحياء واللباقه الاجتماعيه. واثناء فترة الانعاش من الصدمه التي استلمتها من هذا الجاهل تذكرت القصه التي تعلمتها من كتاب القراءه في الدراسه الابتدائيه في مدرسة الفيليه  وهي لو ان الفحم لايحرق يديك فبكل تاكيد يلوث يديك. فها انا ادفع الفاتوره وتلوثة ايدي بفحم لم اقرب منه لاني قبلت بهذا المنصب .

 على اثر ذالك الاستفزاز قررت كتابه ذمه ماليه متكامله لحياتي الوظيفيه وبمواصفات اوربيه وامميه لاعطاء نسخه منها للحكومة ونشرها في موقعي الشخصي ,هنا ايضا تدخل بعض الاصدقاءلانهم اعتبروها تحرش" بكورة زنابير". لقد كنت طيلة حياتي اعمل بمرتب و ان هناك حقيقه  ثابته وهي انه مهما كان مرتب الموظف  مرتفعا فانه لايودي الى الغناء الفاحش  الذي يعيشه البعض والحليم تكفيه الاشاره. مازلت سنويا اعدل ورقة الذمه الماليه على امل ان انشرها يومما واعتقد بانها ستكون الوثيقه الاولى والاخيره تنشر لموظف عمل ثلاثة سنوات مع الحكومه لافي كوردستان وبل في العراق والتي من المفترض على للموظفين العمومين ذوي الدرجات العليا تقديمه لجهة العمل  ونشرها للعموم .

قبل ان يغادر ضيفي اردت ان اطفى غليلي وقلت له وبنبره متحديه  يااستاذ لعلمك لا انا ولاعائلتي المباشره (الزوجه والاطفال) نملك سنتيمتر مربع واحد من الاراضي لا في العراق ولا في كوردستان ولا املك اي شي منقول وغير منقول ولا حتى دراجه هوائيه في هذا البلد ولم اساعد احد في الحصول على اي شي منقول وغير منقول وكل مااملك هي عدة ملايين  من الدنانير العراقيه اليتيمه التي تفقد قيمتها في بنك محلي في اربيل. وانا متاكد بانه لم يصدقني بتاتا عندما ترك مكتبي على عجاله. 

لقد عملت لسنوات كمستشار اقليمي في الامم المتحده وانا ملم بمهام ومتطلبات الوظيفه ومارستها لفتره طويله وفي دول كثيره وكلها من دول  العالم الثالث وعندما كنت احس بان الذين اقدم لهم الاستشاره لا يوجد عندهم الاستعداد او يتقاعسون في اداء ماامليه عليهم فاني كنت اقل اول طائره واعود الى مكتبي  في القاهره واكتب تقريري الى مقر المنظمه ولكن في كوردستان لمن اقدم تقريري  ان قابلية الساسه وفهمهم للتقارير النقديه البنائه تكاد تكون معدومه او يهملونها. 

اما في كوردستان رغم ان كلمة مستشار غير محببه عند العامه لانها الاسم الذي اعطاه صدام حسين( وهي نقله نوعيه من كلمة جحش القديمه) للكورد اللذين نفذو خططه وجرائمه في كوردستان ومنها جرائم الانفال وكان هناك نوعين من المستشارين قسم منهم كان يقود كتائب مسلحه اجراميه وعمليا كانو قد شاركو علي كيمياوي في جرائمه ونفذو له جرائم الانفال وقسم اخركان يجلس في مكاتب "فسيحه" يكيد المكائد ضد شعبه ويبرر جرائم صدام ضد الشعب الكوردي. وبعد سقوط الطاغيه غير الكثير منهم ملابسهم الكورديه بالبد ل والاربطه الانيقه ويساعدون الان هم واولادهم واحفادهم في دفع عجلة "الاقتصاد" .

وكما كان هناك نوعين من المستشارين  في كوردستان ايام صدام فقد تكرر الوضع بعد سقوط الطاغيه والان عندنا فصيلين منهم وهم  المستشار الناجح هو الذي يقول للحاكم مايحب سماعه. مهمته ان يمدحه ويطريه ويثبت له صحة نضرياته.وان يرش الورد والعطر على اخطائه. وان يوصي زميله المستشار الاعلامي و بتفديمها للتلفزيون والصحافه الحزبيه في صورت انجازات وابداعات واما موهلات وقابليات المستشار فهذا غير مهم لمروسيهم. واما المستشار الفاشل هو الذي يتجرء ويسمي الاشياء بمسمياتها فالابيض ابيض والاسود اسود وهم قله نادره. 

 

غروب المنيه

 غروب المنيه :كتيب صغير نشره الحزب الاشتراكي الكوردستاني عام ١٩٨٩ وطبع بمطبعة سيدا صالح اليوسفي في مقر قيادة الحزب في منطقة كأولان في جبل قنديل. الكتيب فيه شعر كتبه شاعر شاب من كرماشان في كوردستان ايران اسمه ريبوار وكان عمره انذاك ٢٠ عاما وكان يكتب أشعاره باللهجات الكورانيه واللوريه وترجم النص كاكه عبد الله قره داغي الى العربية وكتب مقدمة طويلة للكتيب وقام بتعريف الشاعر ريبوار وقيم شعره

نشرت جريدة الغارديان البريطانية لمراسلها الشهير ديفيد هيرست يوم 4.4.1988 تحقيقا حول جريمة حلبجة البشعة والتي اشرف عليها علي كيمياوي يوم 16.3.1988 وزار الصحفي المستشفى الذي خصص لضحايا المجزرة في ايران ورافق تقريره صورة لطفل يتألم من حروقه. لقد تأثر دانا (٤سنوات) وساره (٧سنوات) جدا كانوا على علم ودراية بجريمة حلبجة حيث كانوا مع امهم وعايشوا رسم وطبع وتوزيع بوستر حلبجه المؤثر 

وبما اننا كنا على أبواب عيد الفصح حيث تقدم العوائل بيض معمول من الشكولاته للأطفال بدلا من البيض الحقيقي الملون وهي عادة تعود تاريخيا الى الفايكينغ .

كان الفايكينغ يقدمون البيض كهدايا لإحدى آلهاتهم لان البيض دليل على استمرارية الحياة  والبقاء وبمرور الزمن انتقلت هذه الطقوس الدينية الى الديانة المسيحية وانا على ثقة بإنه احتفال  لقدوم الربيع وانتهاء موسم البرد  والليالي الطويلة .صورة الطفل الكوردي الجريح و المتألم والذي ربما فقد عائلته  بالكامل في حلبجه في جريدة الغارديان والتي ظهرت صباح يوم نشرها(4.4.1988) على طاولة فطورنا قد دفعت  أولادي على ان يقترحوا بل ويصروا على إرسال هداياهم اي بيض الشيكولاته الى ذلك الطفل بالفعل وضعت امهم البيض في طرد بريدي وأرسلته الى السفارة الايرانية في لندن وأرفقتها برسالة وكارت متمنين فيها بالشفاء العاجل للولد المنكوب ، وبعد اربعة ايام  من إرسال الرساله والطرد الى السفاره الايرانيه اي يوم(8.4.1988)استلمنا رساله من اخنزاده القائم بالأعمال الايراني في لندن يوعد فيها دانا وساره بإنه سيتأكد شخصيا من وصول هديتهم للطفل الجريح والذي لم يأبه احدا بذكر اسمه.ان قصة هدية الاطفال الى الطفل الجريح وجدت طريقها الى جريدة الاطلاعات الايرانية اولا  وبعدها بأيام استلمنا العشرات من الرسائل من ايران يشكرون فيها أولادي عل هذه البادرة ومازلنا نحتفظ بهذه الرسائل والتي استلمناها قبل اثنان وثلاثون عاما وفي مثل هذه الايام من عام 1988. القائم بالأعمال الايراني ارسل رساله اخرى بتاريخ 29.7.1988 يشكر فيه أولادي ويخبرهم ان هديتهم ومبادرتهم الجميلة كان لها صداها في وسائل الإعلام الايرانية

أخذت رسائل كثيرة تتوالى علينا وخاصة من كورد ايران يشكر فيها مُرسليها مبادرة اولادي  الإنسانية . للعلم ان وسائل الإعلام الايرانيه لم تذكر بأن والد الطفلين"الإنكليزيين" هو كوردي "انا". ومن دون علم الشاعر ريبوار بأصول دانا وسارا فقد كتب قصيدته  باللهجة اللورية يشكرهما على مبادرتهم الإنسانية

ووجدت قصيدة الشاعر الشاب طريقها الى كاولان في جبال قنديل. قام عبدالله قرداغي هناك بترجمة القصيدة وكتب مقدمة الكتاب والتي كانت اطول من القصيدة نفسها. كتب عبدالله قرداغي في مقدمة الكتاب قائلا "بأن هناك نقطة لابد من الإشارة اليها، موضوع القصيدة ، اي مبادرة الطفلين، خبر استقاه الشاعر من الصحف الايرانية، وبما ان الصحف نشرت الخبر كمبادرة لطفلين بريطانيين، فقد تصور الشاعر ريبوار انهما انكليزيان، ومن هذه المفارقة اكتسبت القصيدة حرارتها،والحقيقة هي انهما من اب كوردي جرد من جنسيته العراقية عام(١٩٧٤)،اما أمهما فهي السيده البريطانية الدكتورة ديان وهي بالتأكيد صاحبة المبادرة الاصلية، كما انها فنانه ابدعت بوسترا عن فاجعة حلبجه واهم من استلم البوستر هم جميع اعضاء البرلمان الاوربي ".

في مقطع من القصيدة قال ريبوار.

" كيف عشعش أطفال كوردستان في ذاكرتكما وقررتما ان تبعثا 

هدية العيد الثمينة !؟

اجل، فأقرانكما من أطفال كوردستان

هم اليوم عراة وجائعون

انهم يقضون عمرهم القصير......بين الحزن والفاقة والكد

لكنهم ، ياحمامتي الجميلتين

"اصبحوا الان يعرفون بأن ثمة قلوب، وان كانت صغيرة، تطير نحوهم بلهفه

انا متأكد بأن شقيقي  الراحل عادل مراد كان صاحب فكرة الكتيب في كاولان في جبال

 قنديل لانه كان هناك وذيل الكتيب بتوقيعه  يوم ٦ حزيران ١٩٨٩ واهدى الكتاب لديان ودانا وساره .اليوم عيد الفصح اي بعد ٣٢ عاما من تاريخ إرسال اولادي هداياهم من قرية في جبال ويلز البريطانية لقريه في جبال كوردستان الشرقية .يرغبون ان يعزفوا بما حل بذلك الطفل الذي يناهز عمره الان الأربعين..؟

A Letter from a Faili Kurdish Girl to Her Brother

I have always kept the few old letters and papers that are a connection to my family home in Baghdad where I was  brought up. These few documents have travelled to many places with me and I can truly say that I have carried my memories in my suitcase. One particular letter, written by sister in 1974, has prompted me to write this as it is her account of the suffering of one family under Saddam’s regime and has survived because it was written in a refugee camp in Iran and posted to the UK. As she was writing I was a postgraduate student in Britain and hoping to receive news of my family from the Red Cross as I had asked that organisation for help in tracing them as they were missing. All I knew was that my family had been taken from our home by Saddam’s regime.

When I received this letter I was overjoyed to know where they were and that they were safe, albeit in a refugee camp. Following the fall of Saddam there were many legal investigations into the crimes carried out under his regime but these were just a fraction of the crimes carried out in the 35 years of is rule. The regime would confiscate any documents, both legal and personal, of its victims. In the case of Faili Kurds they were forcibly removed from their homes and all their belongings would be destroyed leaving them with only the clothes they wore as they were taken to whatever fate awaited them. The courts in Iraq today request documented evidence of ownership of assets lost to Saddam so there are countless families who have never regained their homes and wealth because their proof of ownership was systematically destroyed.

My sister’s hand written account, dated 19^th May 1974, was written in the town of Shino in Iranian Kurdistan and details what happened to my family and others who were forcibly removed from their homes. This crime was never investigated but it needs at least to be recorded as she witnessed it.

My dear brother,

Saddam’s secret police forcibly entered our home at 2.30am on April 21^st 1974. They dragged us out of our beds and took us to the main security department in Baghdad in our night clothes. We joined another 16 families of women, children and elderly people. In total there were 120 people in the room that night and most of them used to work for those who were the Kurdish representatives in Baghdad. We were one of the four Faili families taken that night. Within a few hours we were all loaded onto Russian military transport lorries and driven north out of Baghdad. In Baghdad in April the nights were warm but as we travelled north we were very cold in our night clothes on the open lorries and we all huddled together to try to keep warm. The children suffered during the journey and the adults were all afraid that the army lorries could be targeted as the war was going on. After 8 days in the lorries, and some of the way on foot, we arrived at the summer resort of Shaqlawa, 50 km northeast of Erbil. Here we were taken to the military camp that was close to the main offices of General Taha El-Shakarji who was the leader of the Iraqi army in the North. The old men and the few young men who were in our group were singled out by the Ba’athist officers and lined up. We all realised that these hard core Ba’athist officers intended to have the men shot and the families started to scream and cry out loud and the noise brought General El-Shakarji out of his office and, with his officer’s baton in his hand and sunglasses on, he came towards us shouting at the officers. He protested against the commands from Baghdad and the inhumanity of those in charge there, calling them the murderers of women and children. He was so upset that when one of the women insulted him in front of the others he took no notice as he knew we had been so badly treated. He told us that three of the families had to be sent back to Baghdad and we realised that among these families were some individuals who were collaborators with the Ba’athist regime.

The rest of us were taken to an orchard by a ravine that was within range of the weapons of the Peshmerga on the other side and the officers ordered their men to shoot at the Peshmerga and of course this resulted in firing coming towards us. Their plan now was simply to have us all shot by the Kurds across the river. As night came in two of the young men quietly slipped across the ravine to the Peshmerga, to tell them about the families on the other side. They risked their lives in doing so and their bravery resulted in the Kurdish fighters coming across the ravine and taking us back across with them to safety. Very early the next morning the orchard was bombed by an Iraqi military plane and had we been there the families of several Kurdish leaders would have perished. The Ba’athist plan to inflict a demoralising blow on the Kurdish leaders had failed.

While this was going on our property and belongings in Baghdad were systematically stolen or destroyed by the Ba’athist regime. A few items were sold in public auction as a front and a sister of our mother, whose husband was an Arab, went to the auction of our household effects. She bought a framed photograph of you and when she went to leave the house an officer stopped her and taking the framed picture from her he said, “you obviously only want the frame,” before kicking out the glass and the photograph and handing back the empty frame!  A day after we were taken from home and sent north another group, including the family of Abdul Razzaq Feili, (a well known Kurdish politician and one of the five  members of the PUK) were taken from their homes and sent north. Abdul Razzaq’s seventeen year old sister died on the back of the lorry that was transporting them.       

Our father is well and with us in the refugee camp in Shino and sends his regards to you.

Your sister Semiah

My father was illiterate and my sister would always write for him and she had enclosed passport size photographs of him, my mother and herself. What she did not write was that he had been killed by Saddam’s men, nearly four month’s before, on January 1^st 1974, during a spate of killings by the regime using hit and run car ‘accidents’. In my father’s case his body was taken away by his killers and returned two or three hours later. He had been on his way home from the day at our shop and my family discovered that the day’s takings were not in his pockets. In addition his silver fob watch and chain that he always wore was missing from his waistcoat s was his ring and wristwatch. Not content with murdering him his assailants had robbed him too!  My sister and my mother were alone in Shino and I did not learn of my father’s death until 18 months after he was killed. Even then it was only because a friend in London accidentally mentioned his death. There were not many kurds in Britain in those days and my brother had told them not to mention outr father’s death as my family had not wanted me to know when I was alone in Britain and struggling finish my degree while I still had some finances left.

My sister had not written everything about that journey in her letter but she often mentions the story of a Syrian woman who was with them. This lady had two young sons of a few years of age and a baby girl who she was still nursing. When they were forced to walk into Iran the mother found that she could not carry her three children and she left the baby girl under a tree and walked on with her sons. My sister and other were behind her and without the mother knowing they picked up the baby. Somehow my mother had obtained sugar which she mixed with water and, after dipping a rag in the sugar solution she would put it to the baby’s mouth for her to suck. Time and again she did that as they carried the child for over two days. When they reached the refugee camp they saw the mother with her sons and they went up to her and placed her daughter in her arms. My sister said she could not describe the look on the mother’s face to have the daughter she had left to die returned to her.

If forcing Kurdish families to leave Iraq for Iran had been the sole aim of the Ba’athists in 174 then it was only a matter a matter of a few hours drive to the Iranian border. It did not necessitate a journey of 8 days in lorries and  the cold and suffering people experienced. What the regime wanted was to make an example of the families of those who stood against them and to make them suffer.

While justice was brought against the leading figures of Saddam’s regime there are countless others who were never brought to justice. No one was ever brought to court for murdering my father, stealing his money and his watch, or destroying our home and trying to wipe out all records of our existence.

smoking an empty pipe

I had completed my PhD in the field or physiology at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Liverpool University  in October 1974 but I did not attend the graduation ceremony on March 21st 1975 to receive my graduation certificate as I could not pay for the hire of the robes that I would have to wear. I was as poor as the proverbial church mouse. I continued to carry out further research that was a natural progression from the subject area of my PhD and oversaw the undergraduates' practicals as a means of earning some money. At the same time my supervisor, Mr. Alan Singleton, and I applied for a three year research grant for postdoctoral research from the Agricultural Research Council (ARC). However financial changes resulting from the change in the price of oil had a marked effect on financial matters and the ARC and other funding bodies were forced to reduce the grants they could award and our application was refused.

I now found myself in the predicament of no further financial support, limited finances remaining, my family were refugees in Iran and my brother was in Damascus with Jalal Talabani creating  the Patrotic Union of Kurdistan, PUK in May 1975. In addition Dianne had completed her research and had gone to work for Pfizer Ltd. in Sandwich,Kent. In addition I was constantly receiving letters from the Home Office asking when I was leaving the UK while a local police officer came to the field station on a regular basis to check what I was doing. My finances were so bad that I could not buy the two to three packets of Rothman cigarettes I smoked every day. Instead I invested in a cheap pipe and an ounce of pipe tobacco that I carried every day. The pipe was usually in my mouth through the day but not lit and it was more of a comfort to me.They say that every cloud as a silver lining and in June the Dean of the Faculty, Prof. Fitzpatrick, called me to his office. He had recently returned from the World Veterinary Conference which had been held in Greece that year. At the conference Prof Fitzpatrick had met Dr. Abubakir Saghar, the newly appointed Dean of the new Faculty of Veterinary Science, Tripoli University, Libya. Dr Sagher was an agriculturist who had studied animal nutrition at the Royal College of Veterinary Medicine, London and his wife had been secretary to the Dean of the Royal College. He wanted to model the new faculty in Libya on the standards of the Royal College and wanted a veterinarian to hep him do so. Prof Fitzpatrick put forward my name to him as someone to help him establish his new faculty. In July I travelled to London to meet Dr Sagher at his hotel  and, as he watched the tennis at Wimbledon, we discussed my recruitment  to the faculty which at the time was housed in a small, italian villa in a large, confiscated orchard. He was the only staff member plus a small admin office and a few labourers. A few weeks later I received a telex message to take to the Libyan Embassy in London to obtain a visa. I was given a visa in my expired Iraqi passport. I was then in a dilemma as to whether to go straight to Libya or, go to Syria to see my brother and perhaps stay with the newly established Kurdish movement.

With some difficulty I managed to purchase a ticket to Damascus and arrived there on October 12th 1975.  I joined my brother and our relative Razak Faili in the small flat in the Muhajareen district of Damascus that they shared with a third person, whom I shall refer to as Mr X.  Adel and Razak Faili were two of the five founding members of the PUK and their flat contained left wing and photographic memorabilia e.g. posters of Che Guevara and Lenin. The next morning I accompanied them to the venue where they were holding the daily meetings of the PUK, its members numbering some three dozen or so. I was warmly welcomed by Jalal himself, and my arrival added to the number of PhD graduates in the PUK. The PUK now had a veterinarian and an historian in their gathering in Damascus!     

The topic of discussion was the collapse of the Kurdish revolution earlier in March 1975 when, at a meeting in Algeria, Saddam and the Shah embraced and kissed and the Kurds were the first victims yet again. They discussed how they would be more careful in the future, there would not be any nepotism, involvement of family in politics and there would be no corruption. They had many other pipe dreams that were also discussed. They would talk about their pipe dreams as I sat, and very often slept, with my empty pipe in my mouth as I did not have the money for tobacco. After the meeting we usually went to the Rodah Coffee Shop. After several days in Damascus I felt that I was becoming a burden to them. I had no money and they were poor too. I spoke to Jalal Talabani about my situation and told him of the post in Libya and he was pleased to hear that I had work there. He told me that he was going to Libya himself very soon and that I could travel with him. He told me that I would be of more use to the PUK in Libya than sitting in Damascus sucking my empty pipe.

On November 7th we left together for Tripoli and we were met by someone who took us to the Shaati Hotel which was the biggest hotel in Libya at that time. We were given adjacent rooms and spent two weeks there. I had a feeling that Jalal had been there before and had met Ghadaffi who had given him 'a green light' for the formation of a new political party in Kurdistan. A few months later Adel arrived in Tripoli as the Libyans had promised the PUK that they would buy them a radio station from France. Adel told me that Mr X, who had been in the flat with them in Damascus, and was a senior member of PUK, was frequently visiting Turkey and the security forces in Damascus airport had picked him up on one occasion. The Syrian security forces were very good at obtaining confessions from people and Mr X confessed to being an Iraqi regime's spy inside the PUK. So Mr X and his two brothers stayed in a Syrian prison for several years until Saddam made his reconciliation visit to President Assad, Senior. Saddam demanded that he took the three brothers back with him in his plane to Iraq. Adel told me that Mr X had accused me of being a spy for the British and that I had been sent to spy on the PUK. The evidence for this was my pipe! The fact that I had a pipe, although I had no tobacco, was sufficient evidence to Mr X that I was a spy! It also demonstrated the narrow mindedness of people in that part of the world. 

Ashti Hawrami and KRG Economy !!

Yesterday the KRG's Minister for Oil announced that the region owed 8 billion dollars to the banks and a further 2.5 billion dollars to oil companies! 

Was this the right time to make such a statement about the KRG's economy? At a time when our valiant peshmerga are laying down their lives in defending us, and the rest of civilisation, from ISIS and working people receive only a quarter of their monthly salaries this statement was like a bucket of icy water thrown in their faces. 

It will certainly cause many questions to be asked about the ability of those in charge of managing the economy

حزيران اردوغان الساخن

هذا الرجل يفضل السير على الصفيح الساخن و صفيح الشهر الحالي فهو الاسخن حيث انه يواجه يوميا مشاكل كبيرة وعويصة كان هو فقط السبب في افتعالها ويحاول كثيرا التنصل من افعاله ولكن من دون جدوى واصبح كالبعبع لا ترغب الدول وخاصة الاوربية و الجماعات و المنظمات الغيرالحكومية التقرب منه ومن نظامه سيئ الصيت.

ادناه قسم من مشاكل اردوغان لهذا الشهر حزيران\يونيو فقط علما بأن الشهر لم ينتهي حتى الان و نحن بإنتظار الجديد من ابو بلال من صولات وجولات

كمشترك ومراقب للاستفتاء الذي جرى في بريطانيا يوم الخميس الماضي فإن ابتزاز اردوغان لدول الاتحاد ومطالبته بالاموال مقابل منع الهجرة من خلال الاراضي التركية واصراره على عدم شمول الاتراك بالحصول على الفيزا لادخالهم الى دول الاتحاد وكذلك اصراره على التعجيل في ادخال بلاده الى الاتحاد كل ذالك كان له رد فعل من الناخب البريطاني. اعتقد بأن رد الفعل البريطاني قد اقنع اردوغان الان بأن ليس له مكان في الاتحاد وحسب قول كاميرون رئيس الوزراء البريطاني فإن تركيا نفذت بندا واحدا فقط من اصل 35 بندا عليها تنفيذها لتتأهل للدخول الى الاتحاد.علما بان كاميرون كان من اهم مناصري تركيا في الاتحاد

*صدم اردوغان وظهرت اثار الصدمة على وجهه عندما منع من الكلام او التقرب من كفن البطل محمد علي في امريكا والانكى من هذا ان واحدا من اثنان من اللذين خطبوا في الاحتفال بديلا عن اردوغان والملك عبد الله كان حاخاما يهوديا راديكاليا له مواقف مهمه ضد سياسات اسرائيل في الاراضي المحتلة. طالب الحاخام وبحضور اردوغان و امام اكبر و اهم تجمع عقد في امريكا هذا العام بأن يتوقف اردوغان عن قتل الكورد في جنوب شرق تركيا .لقد اهين الى درجة مابعدها اهانة

*حامي حمى الاسلام وفارس الاخوانجية وبطل الخلافة وراعي الباب العالي تراجع عن كل تهديداته ضد اسرائيل ووقع مع اسرائيل معاهدة لاعادة العلاقات الدبلوماسية وارجاع السفراء الى انقرة وتل ابيب و باع حماس والاخوان في صفقة يالعمر هذه وبحضور السمسارين القطري والامريكي

*لقد فشل اردوغان في صولته مع الدب الروسي واصراره على ان الطائرة اخترقت الاجواء التركية وتاكيده بإنه سيعيد الكرة مع اي طائرة روسية تخترق اجواء بلاده "كلام فاضي " و ها هو السلطان يعتذر لروسيا رسميا واعلن رئيس وزرائه بأن تركيا ستعوض الروس عن كل شئ و بعد تصريحات رئيس الوزراء بساعة ناقض اردوغان رئيس وزرائه ليثبت ان اردوغان ماهو الى عيدي امين اسيا الصغرى
ماذا في جعبة الرجل من جديد ان غدا لناظره لقريب.................

What do Chemical Ali and Erdogan have in common?

 

Accused of killing 182,000 Kurds, mainly women and children at Halabja in 1988, Saddam's cousin Ali said there had only been 100,000 victims. When asked about the 1915 genocide of Armenians by the Ottomans, Erdogan said that less than half a million were killed not the 1.5 million recorded in history. Both refer to human deaths like swatting flies. Chemical Ali was consigned to hell while Erdogan will one day face a jury's verdict.

2- پیاوێک لە پەڕەی گوڵ

    شێخ یەحیا بەرزنجى

هولير ،15.5.2016

تاریک و لێڵی بەر لە بەیان بوو، ڕاست بوومەوە بە نیازی ئەنجامدانى ئەرکى دەسپێکی ڕۆژێکی نوێ و هەڵقون و داقون و هاتوچۆی وەرزشباو بەناو خەیاڵو خەتەرەى باخچە ئاساکەمدا، کە چەندین گوڵی تێدا ژاکاوەو نەسیمی سوبحدەم کەمتر ڕووی تێدەکات. دەمویست ساتێکی بە خەیاڵ دڵخۆشکەر بگوزەرینم

بێئاگا دەستم برد بۆ ئایفۆنەکەو تیلى چاوم گێڕا بە هاتووەکاندا، ڤایبەر پێکەنى، بانگى کردم، نامەم پێیە!.

دیاربوو نامەیەکى کردبووە خەو کە لە بەرە بەیانى رۆژى شەممە ز، لە ئامێزی گرتبوو. گەشبوومەوە، کام فریشتەى بەختى ئاڵۆزمە14/5/2016 کە دەرگای رۆژى خۆشى و ئومێدى لێکردوومەتەوە، دڵم پڕبوو لە خۆشى، لە یادگارى جوان، تارمەو بەڵەکۆنەی خانوی گردى سەرچنارو ماڵی کاک (جەللى عومەرى سام ئاغا)، زەردەخەنەو هەستى ناسکى مرۆڤى گەورەو هەڵوێستى جوامێرانە لە رۆژگارە تاڵەکاندا

بەو دەروونە کەیلەوە وردە وردە تام و چێژى گەوهەرە وشەکانم دەکرد، نووسراوێک بە ناونیشانى ( پیاوێک لە پەڕەى گوڵ)، لە وڵتى غوربەتەوە، لە ئەمریکاوە، لە سەرچاوەى نەهامەتیەکانمانەوە،(محمد بەرزى) نوسیوێتى و لە بەرزى مرۆڤ دەدوێت، لەم رۆمانە بەکۆتانەهاتووەدا (جەللى عومەرى سام ئاغا)ى کردووە بە نموونەو بە پاڵەوانى ئەم داستانەو بەڕێزیشیان وەک جوانترین دیارى منى بەیاد کردووە.

نامەکە باس لە یاساى سروستى ژیان دەکات بۆ ئەم جەنگەلستانە، دەیەوێت پەیکەر بتاشێت بۆ ئەکتەرەکان و لە لوتکەی بڵندى کۆمەڵیەتیدا دایانبنێت، گیانە بەرزەفڕەکانیان بۆ داهاتوویەکى  دوور دوور لە مۆنۆمینتى نەوەى رۆژگارەکاندا دابنیت تا ببن بە زیارەتگاى هەمیشەیى بۆ جوانى بۆ خۆشەویستى بۆ مرۆڤ

ببورن دیارە هەموو ئاینە یەکتا پەرستەکان، هەموو مرۆڤە خاوەن بیرو خاوەن هەستە بەرزەکان سەرجەم دەقە پیرۆزەکان، لە بیرى چاک و کردارى چاک گوفتارى چاک دەدوین، تا مرۆڤ مرۆڤ بیت، ئەم هەمو دەق و یاساو عورف و عادەتە بۆ دارشتنى چوارچێوەى ژیانیکى ئاسودەى دادپەروەریە بۆ مرۆڤەکان، بەلم داخەکەم

لە راستیدا، پەیامەکەى حەزرەتى عیسا نامەکەى حەلج و حاجى قادرى کۆیی و ئەحمەدى خانى و قازى محمد، مارف بەرزنجى و عەلى بۆسکانى، وەک یەک ئاراستە خویندنەوەى بۆ دەکریت کە لە خزمەتى مرۆڤدان و کەچى زۆربەیان بە دارا کران

بۆیە نابیت نا ئومیدبن، نابێ بوەستن، دلنایابن بە داری سیدارەیشەوە لە ئاسمان نزیک دەبنەوەو لە هەمووان بەرزو بلندترن و هەمو باوەرو ئیمانی خۆپەرستان وا لەژیر پێى (حەلاج) دایە.

لە پیش چاومە دەیانەویت کەسە راست و دروست گوفتارەکان بخون لە ناویان بەرن، بەلم با دلنیا بن ئیسقانى ئەم مرۆڤە دانسقانە هەرس نابیت و لە گەرو و هەناوى نەفامە شەیداکانى دەسەڵت و دراودا دەبیت بە دەردیکى کوشندە

ئەم باسە بابەتێکى دێرینى بە یادم هێنایەوە (شێخ مستەفاى ئاموزام) گێڕایەوە گوتى

لە ساڵى1963ز دوای کودەتا شومەکەی هشتی شوبات کاتيک له  که رمياندا  باوى ڕاوەدونانى شیوعیەکان بو، دوو برا بوون بە ناوى (ئەحمەد عومەر قەساب و بەکر عومەر قەساب) دەستگیر دەکرێن، دەیانبەنە بنکەى (بنە بەراز) لە ناو جاف دواى ئەزیەتدانێکى زۆر داوایان لێدەکەن بەڵێن بدەن دەستبەردارى ئەو بیرو باوەڕە بن و زۆریان لێ دەکەن هەر بێسود دەبێت

بەرپرس توڕە دەبێت لەگەڵ جنێودانا دەڵێت: بەسیەتى یەک شیوعى نەماوە تەنها ئێوە هەردوکتان ماون بە قسەمان نەکەن خرابتان چاو پێدەکەوێت.

ئەحمەد کە برا گەورەکە بوو پێدەکەنێت.

بەرپرس توڕە دەبێت لە گەڵ جنێودان و ئاڵوزیدا دەڵێت: بەچى پێدەکەنى؟

ئەحمەد دەڵێت هەر کەس نەماوە ؟ . بەرپرس دەڵێت نەخێر!.

ئەحمەدى نەخوێندەوار و هەژار دەڵێت خوایە زۆر شوکر ئەلحەمدول جارێ وا لە ماڵى ئیمە ئەم دوو برایە ماوین لە خوا بەزیاد بێت زۆرین. ئەوەندەى تریان تێهەڵدەدەن.

جا برا هەرکەس بە دەردى خۆى و کوردەوارى گۆتەنى )دونیا خاڵى نییە(و خاوەن ویژدان و مرۆڤ دۆستەکان هەر دەمێنن.

 دڵخۆشم بە برسێتى، بە بێ ئیشى، بە لێنەپرسینەوەى هاوەڵن، بە لوت بەرزى چاوچنۆکان، بە چەپڵە ژەنى ماستاوچییەکان.

گومانم نییە ئەو پەیکەرەى خوازیار بوون بکرێت بۆ ئەوانگەلێک، دڵنیابن بۆ مەشخەڵ بەدەستە بیر دروستەکان دەکرێت و رەنگە زۆر لەو زەبەلحانە بەر ڕەخنەى توندى ڕۆژگار بکەون.

دەست خۆش کاک محمد بەرزى

سوپاس بۆ تۆى ئازیز کاک جەللى عومەرى سام ئاغا.

جلال سام اغا پــیــاوێـک لــە پــەڕەی گــوڵ

                                محـەمـەد بـەرزی

ئەمەریکا

لە هەر وڵاتێکدا دەسەڵاتی دیوانی چاودێری دارایی هاوتا و هاوسەنگی دەسەڵاتەکانی یاسا دانان و جێبەجێکردن نەبێت و لە بڕیارە سیاسی و ئابورییەکاندا هەمان هێز و قورسایی ئەوانی نەبێت ، ئەوا دەسەڵاتی جێبەجێکردن لە تەنها سەرۆکێکدا کۆدەبێتەوە ، ئەو سەرۆکەش دەبێتە کەسێکی تاکڕەوی  خۆسەپێنەری خۆپەرست و بە تەواوی یاسا فەرامۆش دەکات و بەرژەوەندی تایبەت دەخاتە سەرووی بەرژەوەندی گشتییەوە و  لە ئەنجامدا دەرگای گەندەڵی واڵادەبێت و تاڵانی و بەفیڕۆدانی سەروەت و سامانی گشتی پەرەدەسێنێت و وڵات ڕووبەڕووی وەیشومە و قەیران و قاتوقڕی و برسێتی و مەترسی گەورە دەبێتەوە و هیچ  مانایەکیش  بۆ مافی گشتی و  ئازادی و دیموکراتی نامێنێتەوە .بێگومان حکومەتی هەرێم لە ڕۆژی دروستبوونییەوە دەکەوێتە خانەی حکومەتە خۆسەپێنەرە تاکڕەوەکانەوە . نە بەتەنگ ماڵ و موڵکی گشتییەوەیە و نە ڕێز لە یاسا و دەستاودەستی دەسەڵات  دەگرێت و نە بەهای مەینەتی و مێژووی  خوێناوی میللەتەکەی خۆشی دەزانێت، ئەوەندەش بێ باکە  لە قسەی خۆی زیاتر ، گویێ لە قسەی کەس ناگرێت... دیارە لە ژێر سایەی دەسەڵاتێکی خراپی لەمجۆرەدا چاکسازیی و بەرگریکردن لە گەندەڵی کارێکی ئێجگار  ئەستەم و گرانە  .بەڵام لە هەموو سەردەمێکدا و لە ناو هەموو میللەتێکدا ، کەسانی  ئازا و بوێر و پیاوی پیاوانەی دڵسۆزی  وا هەبووە  لە پێناوی خزمەتکردنی نیشتمان و بەرژەوەندی گشتی و سەروەت و سامانی میللەتدا ئامادەبوون  سەری خۆیان دابنێن  وبە کژ گەندەڵی و تاڵانیدا بچنەوە  و  باکیشیان لە هەڕەشە  و مەترسییەکانی سەر ژیانی خۆیاننەبێ . شایانی باسە یەکێک لەو کەڵە پیاوە پاکانە ، کە خەمی گەلەکەی لە کۆڵ ناوە کاک جەلالی عومەری سام ئاغایە .کاتێک وەک سەرۆکی دیوانی چاودێری کاردەکات ، بە هەموو هێز و توانایەکییەوە دەیەوێت ئەو دەزگایە چاوی کراوەی گەل بێت و دەسەڵاتەکانی هاوتای دەسەڵاتەکانی جێبەجێکردن بێت ، تا بتوانێت بە باشترین شێوە چاودێری وردی خەرجکردنی داهاتی ساڵانە بکات و موڵک و ماڵی گشتی بپارێزێت و بەر لە لێشاوی ئەو هەموو  گەندەڵییە  بگرێت ، کە جەستەی  کۆمەڵگاکەمانی داڕزاندووە و ئابوری وڵاتی  بەرەو داڕمان و هەرەس بردووە .  ئەم پیاوە مەردە توانیویەتی لە ماوەیەکی کورتدا ساڵانە دەیان ملیار دینار و دەیان ملیۆن دۆلار بگەڕێنێتەوە بۆ خەزێنەی دەوڵەت و بێ ترس و پرس دەستبکات بە قوڕگی دزە گەورەکاندا و چۆکیان پیێ دابدات  و ببێتە گابەردی سەر دڵیان . خۆ  کاتێکیش سەرکردەکان و سیاسییە بیرکۆڵەکان و خاوەن کۆمپانیا بێ ویژدانەکان لە هەموو هەستێکی نیشتمانی و نەتەوەیی دەشۆرێنەوە و وەک نەهەنگی برسی  بە ڕاست و چەپدا  هەموو شتێک قووتدەدەن و بە تاڵانی دەبـــەن  ، ئـــازایــانــە نــاو و دۆســییــەی ( ٨٦ )  کـــەس و  ( ٢٧٢٥ )  ڕاپۆرت  ڕادەستی داواکاری گشتی هەرێم دەکات ، کە هەتا ئێستا تەنها چوار دۆسییە جوڵێنراون و دەسەڵاتیش ،  کە پشکی شێری لە گەندەڵیدا هەیە ( ٨٢ )دۆسێیەی لیێ سڕ و فەرامۆشکردووە ، کە سەدان ملیۆن دۆلاری دزراو و هەزاران پارچە زەوی و موڵک و ماڵی گشتیی تاڵانکراویان گرتۆتە خۆیان و لە بەرامبەریشدا دزە گەورەکان بۆ شاردنەوەی ئابڕوی خۆیان و پڕکردنی گیرفانیان  بەردەوام ویستوویانە دەنگی ڕەوای  کاک جەلال بە ژەهر و هەڕەشە  کپ و خامۆش بکەن .بێگومان لەبەر نەبوونی یاسا و بەدەنگەوەنەهاتنی دەسەڵات  بۆ ئەو ڕاپۆرتانە ڕۆژ لە دوای ڕۆژ گەندەڵی زیاتر پەرەدەسێنێت و دەچێتە ئاستی تاڵانییەوە و  تەنها دەزگایەک ناتوانێت  بەری پیێ بگرێت ، بۆیە ئەم پیاوە تێکۆشەرە ، کە بە موو لە ڕاستی لای نەداوە ،  نامەی دەست لە کارکێشانەوە بۆ جەلال تاڵەبانی سەرۆک کۆمار و سەرجەم ئەندامانی مەکتەبی سیاسی یەکێتی دەنێرێت و تێیدا دەڵێت : ( شەرەفمەندنیم بە وەزیفەکەتان ، چونکە من جسمێکی غەریبم لە نێوانتاندا )  و پاشان بە ویست و ئارەزووی خۆی واز لە پلەی وەزیریی دەهێنێت ،  بەمەش باشتر ڕێگا بۆ دزینی سەروەت و سامانی وڵات واڵا دەبێت و حاڵی وڵاتەکەمان دەگات بەم ڕۆژە ڕەشەی ئەمڕۆمان ، کە جگە لە داڕمانی ژێرخانی ئابووریمان و نەمانی پارە لە بانقەکاندا ،  ئەوەتا بە چوار پێنج مانگ حکومەت ناتوانێت نیو مووچە بۆ کارمەندەکانی  خۆشی  دابینبکات .

ئەوەی شایانی باسە کاک جەلال لە دەرخستنی گەندەڵییدا خزمەتێکی زۆر گەورەی کردووە ، بە جۆرێک ناو و ناوبانگی سنوری کوردستانی بڕیوە و گەیشتۆتە دەرەوەی وڵاتیش ، ئەوەتا لە لایەن یەکێتی ئابوری ناسان و کارگێریی ناسانی دەوڵەتەکانی ئەوروپاوە ڕێزی لێنراوە و پاداشتی ساڵانەی  لە بواری دەستپاکیدا پیێ بەخشراوە و وەک کەسایەتی ساڵیش دەستنیشانکراوە  ، سەرباری ئەمانەش  ڕۆڵی گرنگی کاک جەلالی عومەری سام ئاغا  هەر ئەوە نییە ڕووبەڕووی گەندڵکارە زلحۆرتەکان بۆتەوە و پەردەی لەسەر ڕوو لابردوون ، بەڵکو دەیان هەڵویستی دڵسۆزانەی هەیە ، کە دەکرێت لێرەدا ئاماژە بۆ هەندێکیان بکەم :

١ -  خانووەکەی یەکێکە لە خانووە جوان و دڵگیرەکانی  گردی سەرچناری سلێمانی ، کە لە کاتی خۆیدا بە بڕی ( ٧٠٠ هەزار ) دۆلار خەمڵێنراوە ، بێ بەرامبەر بەخشیویەتی بە وەزارەتی  تەندروستی  تا دوای خۆی بکرێت بە بنکەیەکی تەندروستی و خزمەتی هاوڵاتیان بکات و لە ساڵی ٢٠٠٢ وە  تاپۆی ئەو خانووە  خراوەتە سەر وەزارەتی  ناوبراو .

٢ -  لە ناوچەی ئابڵاخ خاوەنی زەوییەک بووە و فرۆشتویەتی و پارەکەی لە بانقدا بە ناوی دەزگای چاودێرییەوە داناوە  و ساڵانە سودەکەی وەک ڕێزلێنان پێشکەشی فەرمانبەرانی سەرکەوتو و چەند خانمێکی سەلاری دیوانی چاودێری دەکرێت .

٣ – پێشنیار  بۆ سەرۆکی ئەنجومەنی وەزیران کردووە ، کە مانگانە  موچەی خانەنشینییەکەی ببەخشرێت بە دەزگای شەهیدان و کەمئەندامان .

لە دواجاردا ئەوە ماوە بڵێم کاک جەلال چرایەکی گەشی نیشتمانەکەمانە ،  هەموو خەون و خولیایەکی  ژیانی ئەوەبووە خزمەتی خاک و خەڵک بکات ،دیارە  دزەکان کە وەک  زەروو  بەربوونەتە گیان و جەستەی شەکەتی ئەم میللەتە کڵۆڵەمان ،  ویستییان بە گەروویەکی پڕ لە ژەهرەوە فوو لەو چرایە بکەن و بەتەواوی خامۆشی کەن ، بەڵام  ئێستا ئەو پیاوێکە لە پەڕەی گوڵ پاکتر و لە جاران گەشترو ڕووناکترە و  جێگای ناخی دڵ و دەروونی هەزاران هەزار کوردی بەشەرەفە و دڵنیام ڕۆژێک لە ڕۆژان ، کە دەسەڵات دەگاتە دەستێکی  پاک و بێگەرد ، ئەوا  لە ناوەڕاستی باخێکی پڕ لە گوڵە باخی سپیدا پەیکەرێک بۆ ئەو چرا گەشەی نیشتمان دەکرێت و بەردەوامیش بۆن و بەرام و شنەی ئەو باخە خۆشەش  باوەشێنی ڕۆحمان دەکات و ناخمان پڕدەکات لە پاکیی و نەوەکانی داهاتووش فێری دەستپاکی و خۆشەویستی نیشتمان دەکات ...   بێگومان  ئەو کەسانەشی  دەنکە جۆیەکی ماڵی میللەتیان خواردووە  ، ئەوا  زوو بێت یان درەنگ بەر شەقی زەمانە دەکەون  ، جا جێگای خۆشییەتی هەر لێرەدا هۆنراوە بەرزەکەی  شێخ ڕەزای تالەبانی  بیری ئەو کەسە مشەخۆرانە  بخەینەوە، کە چاویان بە کەسانی وەک کاک جەلالدا هەڵنایەت و سەرقاڵی دزینی داهاتی میللەتێکی ئەنفالکراون  ، تا چاک بزانن هەتا سەر ئاوا  نایخۆن ، چونکە ئەوەی بە دزی گندۆران بخوا ، دەبێ ڕۆژێک لە ڕۆژان  کوتەکەکانی سەروگوێلاکی خۆشی  بژمێرێ :

لێگەڕێ با کەر لە ناو قەرسیلدا یاری بکا

ڕۆژێک ئەبێ خاوەن قەرسیل کەر دارکاری بکا 

Passing of Dr Farouk El Dessouki

It was with great sadness that I heard today of the passing of Dr Farouk El Dessouki in Cairo. I have known Dr Farouk for 50 years and first met him when he was posted to Baghdad in the sixties.

And over the years we developed a close friendship. He was a stalwart of the Egyptian Veterinary Service and continued to work on their behalf until illness overtook him. When my work with FAO took me to the regional office in Cairo I was not only able to work with him but his family also extended their friendship to myself and my wife and family. Tonight I mourn the loss of my friend but my thoughts, and those of my wife Dianne, are with Rania, Aseel and the Haja Hekmet who have lost a dear father and beloved husband. 

National Budgets & the Productive Use of the Petrodollar

Jamal Fuad,

Ph.D., Retiree, FAO and the World Bank, International Consultant

February 20, 2016

Oil is an important international commodity. Its supply and demand is also internationally manipulated. The industrial countries have the largest demand for this commodity, not only for use as fuel, but also as a mother commodity for the manufacture of hundreds of other essential items and accessories. Actually, less than 20% of oil imported is used for transport and energy generation; the remainder is being used for the production of a variety of products, from ladies perfume to auto bodies, musical instruments, house and health furniture, fertilizers, and much more. That is why the industrial countries are in such a high competition to acquire concession for its production and pricing.

Oil is also a political commodity. Its supply and demand can easily be manipulated to set its international pricing. Being a major source of energy and of high demand worldwide, oil can also easily damage economies of nations that depend solely on oil for their annual budgetary needs.Further, small oil producers have no role in deciding the price of oil they pour into the market. Even OPEC, the Organization of Oil Producing Countries, headquartered in Geneva, supposedly set up to regulate the production and the price of oil, is limited in its power as to how much oil is to be marketed and at what price.

The conclusion is that while the supply and demand levels have a major impact on the oil market price, likewise, the world political environment is also a factor in setting oil production levels and its pricing. Oil is a major player in the ongoing cold war between the great powers of the world, Such as the current situation between the United States and its allies on one hand, and Russia, China, and their allies on the other.

Further, Petrodollar plays a role in the East/West conflict, the USA wanting continued use of the dollar as the currency in all world oil transactions. Thus, USA has signed special agreements with other major oil producing countries to keep using the dollar in exchange for the United States’ commitment to protect such countries from outside aggression.

Oil politics is in action in the existing conflicts in Yemen, and to some extent in Syria, between the Russians and the United States, as they have divergent viewpoints. The recent decline of oil prices is directly attributed to differences of opinion between Saudi Arabia and Iran regarding the ongoing conflict in Yemen. The Saudis, being a major world oil producer, have inundated the market with oil, with the results of bringing its global price down, targeting mainly the Iranian and the Russian economies. The United States has also decreased its demand for foreign oil, which has kept the supply of oil at an all time high, forcing oil prices down.

The industrial countries are also working hard on decreasing their dependence on oil. They are expanding their research at developing energy sources other than that from oil, such as the use of Solar, Wind, Ocean, energies, including what comes from the nuclear fusion.

These international efforts to decrease the need for oil will eventually increases oil supply levels, and would eventually drive prices down. With such price fluctuations, setting national budgets solely on oil revenues becomes problematic and unwise.

Here, I would like to summarize the risks involved in depending solely on oil for annual national budgets, and strongly suggest that we must look at other sources where we can have control over sources of our revenues. To repeat:

1.      The volatile nature of the oil market is such that, making price predictions difficult, and revenues uncertain.

2.      We have no control over Oil world markets and its pricing mechanism.

3.      Its use as a political tool, both by the large oil producers, and also by the great political powers of the world, makes the oil sector vulnerable. 

4.      Future global use of oil as the main source of energy is in doubt. Researchers around the world are busy at finding alternatives to oil, predicting lower prices.

5.      Then again, oil reserves are finite and cannot continue forever. Every well has the possibility to eventually dry up, some sooner and some later.

These reasons must be convincing enough to compel us to diversify the sources of our annual revenue.

Alternatives Sources of Revenue?

Having said this, I am not advocating shunning entirely the use of our major source of funds from the sale of oil. Monies received from the sale of oil should be put in a special fund, to be possibly named Kurdistan Development Fund, to be used mainly for addressing the sector that brings us the most revenues and creates work for our citizens. Then, development of our human resources is of utmost importance, followed by the rehabilitation of our basic infra-structure, especially the supply of electricity and water, construction of major roads, building housing settlements, schools, educational and training facilities, fully equipped hospitals, construction of small industrial outlets, and developing modern tourist facilities, etc.

However, the most important sector guaranteeing a stable revenue is the agricultural sector. We need to utilize our God-given natural resources of fertile lands, water, and a fairly favorable climate, to ensure food security for our nation. The agricultural sector must receive the lion’s share of the petrodollar to become viable again.

Here some may comment: “Here we go again,” but yes, I am an agricultural activist, and firmly believe that rejuvenating our agricultural sector will have a great impact on increasing our national wealth, putting our young generation to work, and insure our food security.

Perhaps the recent budgetary crunch was a wakeup call for all. First, for the authorities to realize that we urgently need a revival of the agricultural sector. It is our economic priority number one. It is quite risky to rely on the import of our daily food from abroad. As the world population is on the rise, currently standing at 7.4 billion, a day will come when no matter how much money we may have, the food market would be too tight to provide us with our food requirements. Is it not a shame to bring carrots from Australia and USA, vegetables and fruits from our neighbors, poultry, beef, and fish from South America, and dairy products from a country that has not even one free flowing river. Why are we not utilizing our God-given fertile land and water, and a favorable climate that allow for the production of just about every food and feed items that we need. It is not only that we must insure our daily food, but most importantly is that the sector creates work, and our young generation

doesn’t have to risk their lives to emigrate and drown in the

distant seas. The sad joke is that the fish in those oceans have started learning Kurdish for having met so many of them.

And second, we seem to have a very short memory of our very recent economic past. It was only in the 1990s that people were on the verge of a famine, as a result of sanctions imposed by Baghdad. People in those years used to sell their furniture, dismantle their houses, pulling out doors and windows and offer such for sale to insure a meager living for their families. It is very sad to see that soon after the end of such difficulties people wasting so much food, throwing away items received from the oil for food program, and even using wheat flour, instead of gypsum, to draw construction sketches on the ground for their homes. Truckloads of spoiled bread are being thrown away daily by our citizens. We are also wasteful of the use of our water and electricity, whenever it is supplied, with minimum consideration for our neighbors.

Taking a look at our neighbors, we find that our nation has been endowed with the most of the water and sufficient fertile land, not available for other people in the region. So let us develop our fertile land and water resources for the production of most of our agricultural needs. Sufficient budget from the oil money should be allocated for this sector. Without food security there is no national security. This sector has been very much damaged and requires proper attention to re-educate our farmers to prepare them and move them to the modern age and to bring farming production up to the modern times. We must become self-sufficient in our needs for all food and feed items.

We need also to make the agricultural profession attractive to our young generation and to many others who are still young enough and can be part of a variety of agricultural programs. Many of these middle- aged men are tied up to mostly sedentary, non-productive jobs (Guards, policemen, janitors, drivers, watchmen), most of which are not needed. I am sure that with proper training they can become active modern farmers. The current practice of having so many idle employees is a great waste of human resources that need to be seriously addressed.

Another important waste is the use of good agricultural lands for settlements, or for airports, where more suitable areas could have been found for both needs. I also hear talks about amateur activities for refining crude oil in some areas of Kurdistan that must immediately come to a halt. In this operation, waste from crude refining activities is being dumped on fertile agricultural land, making it useless for agricultural production.

Oil money should actively address building up our human resources. Qualified candidates should be awarded scholarships to attend accredited institutes/universities, on all aspects of technical, administrative, and managerial subjects required by our young emerging nation. If we intend to be a sovereign nation, then preparing the human resource is an important priority.

Our environment has already suffered a great deal: From chemical bombardment, building military roads, or digging defense trenches by the army’s earlier combat units in Kurdistan. It is about time we showed love of our country and stopped hurting our motherland any further.

Oil, the Devil’s Excrement, the curse continues.

In the seventies, Juan Pablo Pérez Alfonzo, Venezuela’s oil minister and one of the founders of OPEC famously said that oil was not black gold but that it was the devil’s excrement and brought a curse to those countries that had oil reserves.

 Pérez Alfonzo’s insight has been rigorously tested over the last forty years and economists, environmentalists and political scientists have confirmed that he was correct in saying that oil did not bring all the benefits that governments, and people, expected. Studies have shown that the economies of resource-rich countries grew at a slower rate than those that do not have abundant minerals or raw materials to export and, even if the natural resources fuelled growth, it was rarely accompanied by the expected full social benefits. It could be said that a surplus in wealth from natural resources has had a negative effect on the development of other sources of wealth such as agriculture, manufacturing and a country’s human resources. Those countries that proved to be an exception, e.g. Norway and Malaysia, used the bonus of oil resources wisely. Desert countries e.g. Gulf States and Libya, had no significant agriculture or industry prior to the discovery of oil and the riches that the Americans and Europeans extracted from under their feet brought wealth beyond their dreams, while wealthier countries such as Iraq, Iran, Nigeria and Venezuala, that already had other resources and industry, oil was a bonus. However the bonus still carried the curse and, over time, it has not proved to be a ‘God given’ gift. 

The recent drastic fall in the price of oil has had a devastating effect in Venezuela where the country’s economy is now heavily reliant on oil. In 2014, oil brought in $75 billion to the economy of this oil rich country where Pérez Alfonzo served as Minister of Oil, but today the value of a barrel of oil is less than a third of its 2014 price. The result is a shrinking economy and rising inflation accompanied by a food crisis that is hitting every Venezuelan. The country had become reliant on its income from oil to provide food for its growing population but now the government cannot pay for the imports of flour, milk, eggs and other basic staples that the population depends upon and many supermarkets, especially those that are state subsidised, have empty shelves. Inflation is estimated to be 700%, (The Times, London, 12.02.2016), there are long queues outside any shop that has food supplies while crime rates are rising. The country has also been hit by drought which is being blamed for the drop in hydro-electric power and the enforced daily power cuts. Now the Venezuelan government is urging everyone to do their bit towards seeing their country through the current emergency.

 This year, President Maduro of Venezuela announced the formation of a new Ministry for Urban Agriculture. Emma Ortega, the Minister for Urban Agriculture, recently said “people have to solve the current emergency by cultivating in any available space. We just need sun, water and earth. Currently our cities are just food consumers and parasites.”

 President Madura has said that by growing their own food people can survive the economic collapse and that he and his wife were keeping 50 backyard chickens in their effort towards food security. “It’s time to develop a new culture of production”, he said. While the government is urging its people to return to agriculture the country’s health services are breaking down as doctors try to stop the rapid spread of the zika virus, in the absence of the drugs they need but have no means of obtaining. It is a sorry state of affairs for this oil rich country.

What has brought Venezuela down is the result of its successive governments believing that the oil revenues would always be sufficient for the country’s needs and little emphasis was placed on the development of other avenues of income while wealth always attracts the dishonest and the corrupt who seek to line their pockets. Corruption can be found in any country but sadly the combination of oil wealth and developing countries results in corruption and nepotism on an excessive scale.

I was a student in Britain when the Ba’athists turned their attention on my family and, after obtaining my doctorate, I was able to get employment in Tripoli University Libya followed, a few years later, by work with the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the U.N. When I retired from FAO my work had involved livestock and agriculture development programs in all the countries of the Middle East and North Africa yet the opportunity for  work in Iraq only came when Saddam was overthrown and I had reached the UN retirement age. Six years ago I was asked to take up the post of adviser in food security and agriculture to the KRG’s Prime Minister I readily took the opportunity to play a role in the development of Iraqi Kurdistan. I believed that I would be contributing to the redevelopment of farming communities destroyed by Saddam’s troops, improving agriculture and developing food security for the benefit of Kurdish people in Iraq.

I had not been in Erbil for long when I realised that sadly this was nothing but a pipe dream and that, unfortunately, the fatal miscalculations made in Venezuela were being repeated in KRG and Iraq.

The reality was that all the ideas, recommendations, advice, observations and reports that I made were simply ignored. It did not matter if it involved increasing poultry production, improving slaughterhouse facilities and meat inspection, control of livestock imports, silos and wheat production, vaccination programs or safeguarding water and agricultural lands – no one was interested. The first Prime Minister I was asked to advise took one report I offered him and threw it onto his desk saying “We do not need this, we have oil!”, I was never called to meet his successor. By chance I attended international discussions held by the Blue Peace Organisation on water supplies in the Region and I was appalled to discover how Turkey were damming the Tigris and Euphrates rivers and reducing the waters flowing into Kurdistan and Iraq. It was made perfectly clear by the Turks that they regarded water as a commodity and they used the phrase ‘Water for oil.’  No one in the KRG government, including President, Prime Minister and Speaker of Parliament, expressed concern and Turkey’s exports were welcome in the markets to be sold in direct competition with any locally produced goods.

 It seemed that agriculture and food production was regarded as being unimportant when the bright, new petrodollars could buy everything they wanted. Instead of being used to develop our agriculture and industries the oil revenue was used to buy cars, food, freezers, electronic goods or clothes or to build anything from cement plants to tourist villages or invisible factories on prime agricultural land. As long as there was enough oil money available to maintain imports, pay salaries and pensions everything was fine. Or was it? The sad truth was that the entire government was being run by ruling parties that took power in turn and allocated ministerial posts to the requisite number of party members irrespective of ability while nepotism was rife. It is a sorry state of affairs when only one of the seventeen Ministers of Agriculture that have served the KRG was an agriculturist and sadly the same can be said of the central government in Baghdad. For thousands of years the lands of Kurdistan and Iraq were referred to as the birthplace of agriculture and civilisation yet since the discovery of oil the entire area has been blighted by the greed of men who ignored the value of fertile land and water and saw only the money that oil produced.

Kurdistan, like Venezuela, is now on the brink of an economic crisis caused by the drastic reduction in the values of the petrodollar, the squandering of agricultural land, failure to rejuvenate villages and communities, to safeguard water supplies and the development of a society that is entirely dependent on imports.

I wrote ‘we cannot drink oil’ in the article I doubt if any government official read it!

http://www.iraqswaters.com/2014/09/we-cannot-drink-oil.html#links